FRANKFURT/MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - There is at least some movement again in the strike-plagued Lufthansa wage dispute: While cabin crew were still on strike in Munich, the airline continued its negotiations with the Verdi union for ground staff on Wednesday.

For passengers, however, the restrictions are not over: Verdi has once again called aviation security staff at five German airports to go on warning strike this Thursday. According to Verdi, the all-day strike will gradually affect Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden, Koln and Berlin airports over the course of the night.

Verdi called on employees in passenger control, passenger and goods control, cargo control and service areas at the five airports to strike. The employees are prepared to increase the pressure on the employers, Verdi negotiator Wolfgang Pieper announced on Tuesday: "The strikes could still be extended."

Flight attendants continue to strike

On Wednesday, Lufthansa cabin crew continued their strike at the airline: at Munich Airport, Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cityline flight attendants stopped work at 4:00 am. The cabin crew union Ufo had called for a strike on all Lufthansa departures in Munich until 11 p.m. on Wednesday evening. The airline estimates that 400 flights with 50,000 passengers will not be able to take off.

Lufthansa cabin crew had already gone on strike at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday. According to Lufthansa, 600 flights were canceled at Germany's largest airport and around 70,000 passengers did not reach their destinations as planned.

The Ufo union is demanding 15 percent more pay for the approximately 18,000 Lufthansa cabin staff and the almost 1,000 employees of the regional subsidiary Lufthansa Cityline for a contract period of 18 months. The union also wants an inflation adjustment bonus of 3,000 euros and higher bonuses.

Negotiations for ground staff

Last week, hundreds of Lufthansa flights were canceled due to a warning strike by ground staff organized by Verdi. The wage negotiations for the approximately 25,000 ground staff entered the next round on Wednesday, with both sides blocking a continuation of the talks this Thursday.

"Both sides are willing to reach an agreement. We are not separated by personal issues, we are separated by money", Verdi negotiator Marvin Reschinsky told the German Press Agency before the start of the next round of collective bargaining for Lufthansa ground staff. However, Reschinsky emphasized: "The company still has to move if it does not want to risk further strikes."

Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more pay for ground staff for a term of twelve months, while the company has so far offered 10 percent for a term of 28 months. After four rounds of negotiations, an inflation compensation bonus of 3000 euros is relatively uncontroversial.

Lufthansa demands solutions at the negotiating table

Lufthansa Chief Human Resources Officer Michael Niggemann appealed to the unions on Tuesday: "We have made good, far-reaching offers to both Verdi and Ufo, both with salary increases of around ten percent," said Niggemann. "I think that is the basis for finding solutions in the short term. We are ready to negotiate."

Verdi group representative Reschinsky countered: "The Lufthansa personnel board has repeatedly emphasized that Lufthansa has presented a good offer. Now we will see what the company offers so that it will also be a good offer from our point of view."/ben/mar/DP/stk